Governor Mike Pence has named Geoffrey G. Slaughter as the 109th Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court.
Mr. Slaughter was one of three finalists for the position on the state’s high court after the April retirement of Justice Brent E. Dickson. Thirty judges and lawyers from across the state applied for the position.
According to the Indiana Constitution and state statute, a seven-member Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) is required to recruit and select candidates to fill vacancies on Indiana appellate courts. The JNC began the process after Dickson announced he would retire.
The JNC considered applicants’ legal education, writings, reputation in the practice of law, and other pertinent information. It also conducted in-person public interviews with the applicants. After deliberations in executive session on March 4, the JNC publicly voted to send three nominees to the Governor. The Governor made the final selection and announced his decision on May 9.
Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush welcomed Slaughter to the Court and said, “Geoff is respected by colleagues, clients, and opposing counsel. He has earned a reputation for thoughtful analysis of complex legal issues, a concise writing style, and a courteous manner. I am pleased to welcome him to the Indiana Supreme Court.”
Speaking in the Governor’s Office with the four other current Supreme Court justices—Rush, Rucker, David, and Massa—near the podium, Slaughter said he looked forward to working with them. He paid tribute to former Justice Dickson and said, “I’ll do my best to try to live up to the values of professionalism and civility for which he’s so well-known.”
Governor Pence described Justice-select Slaughter as a man who has “demonstrated a first-rate legal intellect, an unparalleled understanding of constitutional and antitrust law, a remarkable ability to think and write clearly on the most complex issues, and a steadfast commitment to improving the local and legal community.”
Slaughter was born in Gary, Indiana in 1962 and moved to Bloomington for his education. He attended Indiana University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, graduating in 1985 with high honors. He graduated cum laude from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and the Kelley School of Business with a Master’s in Business Administration in 1989.
After law school, Slaughter served for two years as a clerk to Chief Judge Allen Sharp, United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Indiana, in South Bend. He then worked in private practice concentrating on antitrust, bankruptcy, and other complex business litigation. From 1995 to 2001, he served as Special Counsel to the Attorney General of Indiana where he oversaw the state’s antitrust enforcement efforts and served as the Attorney General’s designee charged with reviewing rules promulgated by state administrative agencies.
Most recently, Slaughter has been a partner with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Indianapolis arguing numerous matters before the state and federal appellate courts. He is an active member of the Seventh Circuit Bar Association and the appellate sections of the Indiana State Bar Association and the Indianapolis Bar Association.
Committed to furthering civics and constitutional education, he has volunteered since 1996 as a judge for the “We the People” competition and has served since 2005 as a volunteer judge for the American Legion’s National Oratorical Contest, a high school competition involving timely constitutional topics.
In his spare time, he cheers for the Chicago Cubs and IU football and likes to play tennis, read, and garden.